Toy atomic waste disposal container



May 15, 1962 J. HANNA 3,034,257

TOY ATOMIC WASTE DISPOSAL CONTAINER Filed April 22, 1959 INVENTOR 4/74 v A mv/vfl Wile/ 7%, 5 Wm ATTORNEY 3,034,257 TOY ATGMIC WASTE DISPOSAL CGNTAENER Jay Hanna, Rockport, Maine, assignor to The Lionel Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 808,231 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-226) This invention relates in general to toys and in particular to a new and useful toy vehicle including means on the vehicle for simulating atomic waste material containers and radiation rays being emitted therefrom.

The present invention in particular is directed to a model railway train, and includes a model railway fiatcar construction with a power pick-up which is effective to intermittently deliver power from a track structure to positioning terminals located on top of the flatcar. The flatcar includes a box-like radioactive disposal container having translucent windows in a side thereof and which is positioned over the electrical terminals on the top of the flatcar. The container is provided with a light which is connected to terminals located at the base of the container, the container terminals being positioned to overlie the terminals on the fiatcar. Power is intermittently supplied to the light within the atomic waste disposal container as the train is moved along the track so that the light flashes on and off and its rays are visible through the transparent openings in the container. The light rays which are emitted through the translucent window give the illusion of rays being emitted from the radioactive substances within the container.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a toy having a container thereon with a small window opening and including means for intermittently flashing a light within the container as the vehicle is moved.

A further object of the invention is to provide a model railway flatcar including a simulated atomic waste disposal container positioned thereon and including means for periodically flashing a light in the interior of the container as the vehicle is moved along a track structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy including means for simulating ray emission from the interior of a container placed thereon which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, the only FEGURE is an exploded perspective view of a toy constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing in particular, the invention as embodied therein includes a model railway flatcar generally designated 10 having a forward and a rear set of wheel trucks 12 and 14, respectively, adapted for positioning on a track structure generally designated 15 for movement of the flatcar thereover.

In accordance with the invention, the flatcar is provided with a recessed area 16 defined thereon in which there is located a pair of spaced terminal members 18 and 20 adjacent each of the sides of the flatcar 10. A similar set of terminals is located a recessed area 22 at the opposite end of the flatcar and includes a duplicate set of terminals 18 and 20 (not shown). The terminals 18 in each of the recesses 16 and 22 are connected by a wire connection 24 to a yoke arm 26 having an electric pick-up roller 28 at one end thereof. The arm 26 is biased downwardly to position the roller 28 into contact with the third or power rail 29 of the track structure 15 at all times when the fiatcar is positioned thereon. The terminals 20 in each of the recesses 16 and 22 are suitably connected to the wheels on one side of the trucks 14 and 16 to provide a conventional ground return path for completing the electrical circuit.

In accordance with the invention, the roller 28is provided with alternate electrical conducting and insulating areas 30 and 32. As the roller is held in contact with the track it revolves to alternately conduct current from the track structure to each of the terminals 18 as the flatcar is moved along the track.

Positioned in each of the recesses 16 and 22 are substantially rectangular simulated atomic waste material containers generally designated 34'. Each of the con tainers 34 includes a removable bottom insulated plate 36 having terminal members '38 and 40 extending across the bottom outside face adjacent each end thereof and having portions which overlie terminals 18 and 20 re spectively when the containers are positioned in the rece'ss. The terminal members 38 and 40 include upstanding portions 42 which extend through the plate 36 to the interior of the container, one of which is connected to one terminal of a lamp 43 and the other of which is connected to the other terminal.

For convenience in mounting the lamp 43, a plastic lock 44 is connected to the plate 36 as by adhesive. The lamp 43 is held in an upright position and connected electrically by a looped conductive wire 45 secured to block 44. Loop 45 is in turn Wired to the portion 42 of the member 38. A conventional lower center lamp terminal is in contact with a resilient leaf spring 47'which is electrically connected by a suitable wire to the portion 42 of the member 40.

When the flatcar It is moved along the track structure, the roller 28 rotates to alternately present the insulation portion 32 and the conductive portion 30 in contact with the power rail of the track structure. This is etfective to flash the light 43 since the terminals 20 located within the recesses 16 and 22 are grounded. The containers 34 are each provided with cutout portions 46 having translucent windows so that when the light 43 flashes, the illusion is that rays of energy are flashing within the containers 34. The containers are advantageously labeled radioactive and the overall'efiect is to simulate the radioactivity of the waste material which is carried within the containers 34 on the flatcar 19.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy adapted for relative motion over a supporting surface comprising a body member having a sub stantially flat top, a model railway shipping container removably positioned on said flat top having a window opening in a wall thereof, an energy ray simulator including a light source positioned inside said container and means to periodically supply electrical energy to said light source and to automatically flash said light whereby to give the appearance of energy rays flashing within said container.

2. A toy according to claim 1, wherein said body member is provided with two spaced electrical terminals on said flat topand electrically connected to said means i ment therealong, said frame including roller electrical energy pick-up, means biased downwardly to contact the power rail of the track structure, a container positioned on said body member including a window opening in a wall thereof, an energy ray simulator including a light bulb positioned in said container and connected to said roller pick-up means and to ground, alternately disposed insulation and conductive portions on said roller pick-up means, said alternate insulation and conductive portions normally contacting the power railwhen the train. is moved along the track structure, whereby said light in said container is flashed to simulate energy rays within the container. Y

, 4. A toy railroad car for positioning ona toy track structure having outside rails and an intermediate power rail, said car comprising a body member, tront and rear sets of wheels attached to said body member and adapted to be positioned, on the outside rails of the toy-track f structure for: movement of the vehicle therealong, a

downwardly biased roller pick-up adapted to be biased into contact with the intermediate power rail of the track structure and to receive electrical power therefrom,

a first pair of laterally spaced contact terminals exposed on said-body member, a container positioned on said body member andincluding a second pair of contact terminals located at the bottom thereof and overlying associated ones of said first contact terminals in electrical connection therewith, alight in said container having a respective terminal connected to a respective one of each of said second pair of terminals, one of said first pair of terminals being grounded, the other one of said first pair of terminals being electrically connected to said roller pick-up, said roller pick-up including alternate peripheral areas of insulation and conductive material from the first set of members and exposed on said flatcar in a location removed therefrom, one of said third set of terminals being connected to said roller pick-up means and the other connected to ground, and a second container having a pair of exposed terminals on the bottom thereof, each of which is positioned to overlie a respective one of said third set of terminal members, a light bulb located-within said second container and electrically connected to said second container exposed terminals, said second container having a window opening through which said light flashes whereby to simulate generation of radiation energy. 7 t

6. In a model railroad car construction including a flatcar having wheels adapted to be propelled over outer rails of a track structure and including roller pick-up means biased into contact with a third intermediate power rail, the improvement comprising a first pair of longitudinally'elongatedelectrical contact members exposed onthe top of said flatcar, one terminal of which is connected to said roller pick-up means and the other terminal of which is grounded through the wheels to said track structure, a container having a second set of laterally elongated electrical terminals located on said flatcar with one of each of the second set of terminals .arranged to contact a respective one of each of the first having a window opening to make said light visible and r V i to simulate radiation rays.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bonanno a Sept. 16, 1952 

